Miraculous the Musical
by CoronaCrown
Summary: The daily lives of our Parisian heroes and their friends and acquaintances as told in song. Ch10 "Rotten to the Core," In an alternate universe, Ladybug, Cat Noir, and Lady Wifi are liberals in a corrupt Parisian government. While they fight for adolescent freedom, the city sees them as immature delinquents; they embrace that.
1. Just One Mistake

**_Chloé is pretty jealous that Marinette was chosen for a summer internship, allowing her to spend much more time with Adrien._**

* * *

 **[From: _The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning_ ]**

Popular to contrary belief, Sabrina knew as many things as she did about Chloé the way anyone would know their best friend. She knew when Chloé needed to have her nails done, calling someone from downstairs in the hotel when that happened. She knew when Chloé wanted to have her makeup resorted, when she needed to vent about something, when she wanted to talk about Adrien, when she wanted to talk about herself.

She even knew that Chloé wanted to rant about her hatred and—dare she say it, even to herself—jealousy over the new position in the workforce Marinette landed herself with.

"She's a complete _peasant_!" Chloé shouted the moment she stepped brought the door of her room, carelessly throwing her purse to the chaise where Sabrina left it for these kinds of tantrums. "How is it that Marinette 'watch-me-stumble' Dupain-Cheng got that summer internship with Adrien's dad? So what if she won that bowler hat competition and even made a blazer for my Adrikins to wear, I'm still a much better designer than her! I mean, just look at my clothes!"

Sabrina mentally retorted that there was more to being a designer than deciding which cardigan would go with which shirt or blouse. Then again, Chloé was the one who sent the image of Marinette's bowler hat design to a professional seamstress who included Marinette's signature rather than try and make the hat herself. She only nodded in agreement and wordlessly gathered the materials she needed to change Chloé's nail color again for the third time that day.

"What does Adrikins even see in that bratty girl?" Chloé muttered as Sabrina began to use a gel to scrape the paint off her nails of her right hand. "I mean, they suddenly go on _one_ date–"

"Seventeen."

"–and in only two weeks–"

"Five months."

"–they're already an item?!" Chloé sputtered, making bubbling noises under breath. "Ugh! I swear, Daddy would have her and her mother deported if Adrien's dad wasn't watching over them like those stupid guardian angles in those stupid books."

"The Bible."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"Dip." Chloé let her hand fall in a bowl of water as Sabrina began to work on the other one.

There was a moment of peaceful silence that was interrupted when Chloé brought her hands away from Sabrina and the bowl, clenching them and tightening them into fists; the gel on her left hand splattered on her palm and sleeve, going by unnoticed by her. "Oh, that Marinette! I _loathe_ her, I _despise her_!"

Sabrina remained at her side as she waited for the girl to finish.

"How is it that she got the internship in the first place? She's a natural klutz, a complete moron and a waste of human air!"

 _As if there's any other air,_ Sabrina thought to herself. Out loud, she said, "That's a new insult." It was.

Chloé, as usual, didn't hear her. "I need that internship! I can't go to the same university as my Adrikins without it, not even with Daddy's money! I deserve that internship! What's Marinette got that I don't, just because her new skirt line is selling now. Pfft, just because I got caught trying to send the wrong print to her..."

Sabrina shrugged, continuing to file Chloé's nails. "Well, nobody's perfect." At that moment, she accidentally dug a little too deep and sawed under her fingernail.

"Ow!"

"Oh, sorry!" Sabrina reached for a towel to soothe it, not that it was bleeding, but Chloé took her hands away again.

She was smiling. "Yeah, you're right! Except for me and Adrikins, no one is as perfect as the two of us! Heck, no one except us is perfect at all! They all make mistakes, _especially_ her!" She settled in her chair again as Sabrina continued to apply the gel and drip the paint off. She grinned evilly as she looked up at her friend.

 **["Just One Mistake"]**

 _"Sabrina, I need to find a clue!"_ she cooed. _"To get myself the baker's job, to stage a little coup! A straw to break the camel's back. A teeny dent, a tiny crack. A quiver or a quake, what I need is one mistake!"_ Sabrina only nodded as she bent to pick up a few model nail paints. _"Just one mistake!"_

"What color are you into this late afternoon?" Sabrina asked nonchalantly as she set one of the model nails on Chloé's index finger. "Emerald Hue?"

Chloé rubbed her chin with her left hand as she eyed the green model on her right with intense thought. "No thanks," she said.

"Sunshine Daisy?" The yellow model was placed on her middle finger.

She scoffed. "Not in the mood."

"Tangerine Insight?"

"Just paint them the shade of Ruby Rose!" Chloé thrust her hand, sending the model nails to the ground. As Sabrina picked them up, Chloé stood and grabbed her scarf and wrapped it around her head with woe. _"Marinette, oh, better be on her guard! 'Cause I have some moola charms and they'll be looking very hard!"_ She threw the scarf off her head and began making making fists and pinching gestures in front of her line of sight. _"A straw to break the baker's back! A teeny dent, a tiny crack. A dowdy double take, what I need is one mistake!"_

"Uno error," Sabrina agreed as her friend dramatically leaned against her.

Chloé sauntered over to her closet, taking long, slow strides as she walked inside. _"Just one mistake..._ Then..." She disappeared inside and came out almost immediately after with a bright red cardigan and black designer jeans. _"Hello, world! It's Chloé Bourgeois!"_

"Such a beautiful name!" Sabrina praised.

 _"I'm the new design-a! Or maybe more! Oh, I want so much more!"_ Chloé made her way as if down on a catwalk, dipping herself so much that Sabrina had to hold her arms out so that she could arch her.

"Shocker," she said, helping her back up.

 _"Hello, world! I'm the belle of the ball!"_ Grabbing her Ladybug mask, she placed it over her eyes and held the heroine's pose. _"I'm the greatest of all the loyal royal big_ _shots!"_ In seconds that only someone like Chloé could pull off, she changed inside her closet and put on a runway show for Sabrina, showing off the outfits she never wore and while she liked, were hurtful to even look at.

 _"Work it, Chloé! Pouty, sassy! From the engine to the chassis!"_ Sabrina clapped as she tried on her beret and stood next to her friend. _"Got to, got to. Get it, get it. Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta have it!"_ Chloé shouted as she reverted back to her usual yellow clothing, the mask coming off her face as she perched her sunglasses on her head again. _"A straw to break the camel's back. A teeny dent, a tiny crack. A mini mighty break. What I need is one mistake._ And after that, who knows."

Chloé sighed woefully as she sat on the lounge again, Sabrina positioned next to her as she resumed working on her nails. They were quiet for about half a minute until she spoke.

"Marinette's bound to make a mistake, right?" She looked up at her friend when she asked this.

Sabrina hesitated, knowing she wouldn't like the answer. "Well, it's already been two months, so... probably not."

Chloé scoffed in disgust. "Ugh. Dream killer."

She stayed at the hotel the rest of the day, ranting on about this and that with Sabrina following her around like a lost puppy. When her friend left and Chloé was left to her own devices until it was time for dinner, her phone rang. She brightened up as she saw her "best friend's" contact photo on her screen.

She immediately answered it, introducing herself with, "Hello, Adrikins! How can I help you today, hmm?"

 _"Er, hey, Chloé,"_ she heard her beloved say. _"I just wanted to ask, do you know what Sabrina's favorite color is? I want to get her an original, handcrafted dress for her birthday tomorrow."_

Chloé frowned. "What?"

 _"See, Marinette and I decided to get her a gift together. And the best gifts are always the ones that put a lot of time and effort and thought behind it. So we wanted to know her favorite color for the dress we had in mind to work together in it. She keeps saying she's your best friend, so that means you know what her favorite color is, right?"_

There was silence.

 _"Hello? Chloé? Chloé, you there? Hm, we must've gotten cut off. Marinette, let's try her dad. He might know."_

Chloé was left in her room alone as she processed what just happened. Her Adrikins called... to know about some stupid color that Sabrina liked? What about _her_? He didn't even say hello, how rude!

Angry, she threw her phone until it landed on the soft blankets of her bed, bouncing a few times before it lay still. She sat on her bed, huffing and crossing her arms.

"This _so_ isn't fair," she whined.

* * *

 **The idea for this little gem came from when I was listening to some of my favorite villain songs. When I reached this one (even though I've never seen the movie), I thought, "Chloé would so sing this if she was jealous of a job Marinette got." Then I began writing this up.**

 **The song and where the song is from (artist or movie/show) will be listed right before the paragraph of which the song begins. I already have ideas and plans for, in no particular order:**

 **When Words Fail ( _Shrek the Musical_ )**

 **I Can't Fix You (The Living Tombstones)**

 **Jump Right to It ( _Phineas and Ferb_ )**

 **For Good (Wicked)**

 **Lost in Thoughts All Alone (Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright)**

 **Falling for Ya ( _Teen Beach Movie_ )**

 **I have these songs lined up, probably not right away, and probably not all of them, and I will also be taking requests into consideration. Also, a few AUs will be coming in, but a majority will be centric around the official canon events of the first season and the Christmas special.**

* * *

 **AN update 3/21/17**

 **I have a preview of a story uploaded on my profile. It's a Miraculous Ladybug genderbend fic! Note that it's only a preview and includes an excerpt from the end of the origins episode that I tweaked. If it gets enough positive reinforcement, I'll upload the first full chapter sooner rather than later or not at all. That's all for this reuploaded update, and enjoy the rest of _Miraculous the Musical_!**

 **Word Count: 1845**

 ** _~Corona Crown~_**


	2. Jump Right to It

**_Alya, Rose, Juleka, Alix, and Mylène are having a girl's night at Marinette's, and the topic of conversation eventually turns to boys._**

* * *

 **[From: _Phineas and Ferb_ ]**

In hindsight, she _really_ should have seen it coming.

When Marinette first invited Alya for a girl's night, it was supposed to be only the two of them. Then Alix butted in and more or less invited herself. Rose overheard and asked if she and Juleka would come as well. Then, because Marinette couldn't find it in her heart to leave the timid girl out, asked Mylène if she wanted to join them. They avoided asking or even talking to Chloé and Sabrina about it for very obvious reasons.

When she got home after school, she notified her parents and her mother got to work on ordering pizzas for them all while her father set to work on making macarons and cookies.

She made sure Tikki was well supplied with enough chocolate chip cookies under her bed as she took down her Adrien shrine since she didn't want to be interrogated in her own room.

Alya arrived first with her night bag and toiletries. She was giggling about some song Jagged Stone had released based on his experiences as Guitar Villain, something Marinette was keen to listen to soon.

Juleka and Rose arrived together, the former giving a small smile and wave to her parents and the latter talking excitedly and asking if it was okay that her perfume was masking the scent of the cookies.

Mylène arrived next, her hair, for once, free from the bandanna but still in its dreadlocks. It made her hair look fuller and a little wild. Alix got there a second after she did, for once without her cap and still in her rollerblades.

Once they ate the pizza, they ate cookies as they talked. They talked about Marinette's designs, about school, about how much they all hate Chloé, about Ladybug and Cat Noir. And soon, they were all talking about–"

"Boys!" Alix cried out in exasperation. "They just have to make a competition out of _everything_!"

"I know what you mean," Alya agreed. "I mean, Kim is a prime example, obviously. Max is a serious gamer. Even quiet Nathanaël was a little harsh when he was akumatised."

"Didn't you think Chloé was Ladybug and tried to 'unmask' her when you were Lady Wifi?" Mylène pointed out.

"Well, we all know who's the _least_ competitive out of anyone in our class," Rose put in. "Adrien!"

"She's right," Juleka agreed in a small voice. "Adrien's really humble, but I think he's too nice to refuse a competition against someone."

"Let me tell you all a story, little ones," Marinette said, sitting up from her position against her bed that Alya was lying on her stomach on. "Remember when Cat Noir had to protect me against the Evillustrator? He was all competitive too! He even called me 'Princess' and kissed my hand."

Alix gave a short cackle. "Oh man, that's a hilarious!"

Alya was quiet for a moment before she said, "Say, Marinette what are your thoughts on Adrien?"

Marinette felt her face heat up. "U-um, what?"

Rose lit up. "Oh yes, Marinette, do tell us! Are you and Adrien officially a couple yet?"

"W-wait, I don't–"

"Of course they aren't!" Alix rebuked. "They'd be snogging each other senseless in the mornings if they were."

Marinette frowned. "I-I don't understand. What are you guys talking about?"

Alya elbowed her best friend's shoulder. "We're talking about your crush on Adrien! Girl, you need to at least ask him to the movies!"

"Don't you remember the last time I tried that?" Marinette bemoaned.

"Ooh, I think I smell something juicy!" Alix said. "Please, do tel us more, Alya!"

Alya went to open her mouth, but not before Marinette clapped her hand over it. This sent the blogger into a fit of giggles. She wasn't the only one; the rest of the girls caught on that something happened, and whatever it was, Marinette was embarrassed by it. It couldn't have been rejection, otherwise she'd be in a depressed state. No, it was more along the lines of she tried to and couldn't get the words out.

So, the same old thing, then.

"Can we talk about something else, now?" Marinette squeaked.

Juleka gave a small chuckle. "You really need to ask Adrien out. It's so obvious you're into him."

" _Really_ obvious," Alix agreed. "It's painful to watch. Cringe worthy. It makes me want to put you two in a closet to sort yourselves out. Dark Cupid's arrows wouldn't stop you."

"Are you done?" Marinette pleaded.

The skater only smirked. "For now."

"Am I really that obvious?"

 **["Jump Right to It"]**

"Girl, you really need to just ask him out," Alya said, standing from the bed. "It's painful to watch! _You better jump right to it, tell that boy how you feel. Just get out there and do it, it's not such a big deal."_

 _"You've been waitin' all school year, now it's time to reveal!"_ Rose joined in, following Alta's giddy movements. _"You better jump, jump, jump right to it!"_

 _"You've gotta step right up, you know he thinks that you're cute,"_ Alya put in, if Marinette's clothes and designs were any indicator. _"C'mon and bounce right up. Get off your patoot. This isn't the time to be shy, coy, or cute. You better jump, jump, jump right to it!"_

 _"Why you waiting, Marinette, huh?"_ Juleka put in, giving a small grin at the designer's reddening face. _"Why hesitating? He could be your fella. It's been your predilection to move in the direction. Away from the romantic and into the semantic. So it makes us somewhat frantic."_

Alix put an arm around Marinette's neck, poking her shoulder in a teasing manner. _"Go on and get it, 'cause you're a real catch. Hold your head high, you're both the great match."_

Mylène offered a sheepish smile. _"All school year long, you sing the same tired song. You better jump, jump, jump right to it!"_

 _"You better jump, jump, jump right to it!"_ Alya lay on the bed again, using her arms to hug Marinette from behind, her chin placed on the crook of her neck. "Don't you get it, girl? All you need is a leap of faith!"

"That's easy for you to say," Marinette argued. "All you and Nino had to do was get pushed into a panther cage by Ladybug. That was pretty rude of her, though, wasn't it?" She tried to sound nonchalant as she said this.

"Maybe, but that's not what we're talking about. We're talking you and your obsession with Adrien."

Marinette sputtered. "What—I—that's... It's not an obsession!"

Alya raised an eyebrow. "Girl, you literally have his schedule above you." To prove her point, she pulled on the cord of the map that listed all of Adrien's meetings, weekly photo shoots, and fencing and Chinese lessons after school.

 _"Oo-ooh!"_ both Rose and Alix teased, giggling at Marinette's tomato-red face.

"It's just like Ladybug told Ivan," Mylène said, taking pity in all of the teasing. "There's nothing wrong with telling someone you love them."

"Ladybug said that?" Juleka said with a look of surprise on her usually tranquil face.

Mylène nodded. "Oh yes! She said that to him after he became Stoneheart the first time."

"See?" Alya said, waving her hand for emphasis. "All you need to do is tell him! Ask him to the movies, for a smoothie, video-games, Chinese tutoring, anything! Just jump for it!"

"I-I don't know..." Marinette said uncertainly. "Look, can we talk about something else now?"

"Oh, alright," Alix relented. "Don't think we're dropping the subject!"

The conversation diverted until late in the night. The weekend was the next day and they all decided to go and see a new movie, just the girls, the next afternoon. They all slept on the floor of Marinette's room, Rose taking the bed since she found it difficult to sleep without a soft place to rest her body on.

Marinette was the only one awake at one in the morning, thinking hard. She was interrupted when she saw a lie of green orbs looking into her window. She sat up and the green orbs disappeared from view. Was that...?

She quietly made her way over to the stairs leading to the balcony, opening the hatch and letting the cool air of Paris hit her. "What are you doing here?" she said in a quiet whisper.

"Couldn't sleep," Cat Noir said, perched like a cat on the railing. "So I decided to go on a patrol. I was nearby and decided to check out if everyone was asleep."

"By peeking into their bedroom?" she accused.

He only shrugged. "I'd never peek at anyone, I'm too much of a gentlecat for that."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure you are."

Cat Noir only smiled before he frowned. "What are doing up, Princess?"

She shook her head. "Ah, it's nothing. I'm just having a sleep over with some of the girls from my school and we were talking about... stuff."

He moved from the railings to sit by Marinette by the hatch, where she rested her elbow on. "What about?"

Marinette looked at him and sighed. "There's this boy," she said, "that I've had this huge crush on for a while. They tried to talk me into asking him out, but I can't even speak to him without sounding like an idiot."

Cat Noir hummed as he talked his chin with his claw. " _Purr_ -haps you should think of him as any other person, just as an everyday guy."

Marinette chuckled. "Are you giving me dating advice?"

"Well, Princess, a cat of my caliber can only strive to reach for the best. Why do you think I tail so much after Ladybug?"

She felt herself heat up a little at that. "But you don't know who she really is."

"So?" Cat Noir said, shrugging. "She's a person who wants to help everyone with or without the mask, I know that at least. She can be clumsier than you, but I don't care. And don't tell anyone this, but I've actually been thinking about revealing myself to her."

"Wh-what?" Marinette looked up. "Why?"

"Because I want to show her the real me," he said. "I have little control over my own nine lives, and being Cat Noir gives me a sense of freedom. And if she doesn't want to tell me who she is, I'm not gonna fur-ce her. But enough about me. Who's this guy? He'd had to be a complete idiot to not see you like him, all that stuttering must make it obvious."

"Yeah, no kidding," Marinette agreed. "But Adrien remains oblivious. And I'm too chicken to talk to him."

"A-Adrien? Adrien Agreste?"

She only smiled. "Yeah, I figured you might have heard about him. He's a famous model and all, but he's so much more. He's sweet, he's handsome, he's smart. But I don't know, he probably doesn't even like me like that."

"W-well... he might." Cat Noir cleared his throat before he continued. "I mean, what's not to like? You make clothes, and that bowler hat he had a while back was made by you, wasn't it? You bake, and your clumsiness is kinda... cute?"

Marinette giggled. "Oh kitty, that's sweet of you to say. But I don't know."

"How about this then?" Cat Noir turned to look at her blue eyes. "You're going to see him again at your school on Monday, aren't you? Promise me you'll ask him out then, no hesitations! Ask him to a movie, I hear he likes movies."

"Are you kidding me?" Marinette looked at him. "Didn't you hear the part where I said I speak like an idiot in front of him?"

Cat Noir winked. "Just ask, Princess. I think you'll be surprised." He stood up. "And as much as I'd like to stay, I'm _feline_ a little tired, so I'd better get home. Keep your promise?"

She sighed. "How can I reject the request of a superhero no matter how odd he is?"

" _Meow_ -ch, Princess! You're absolutely _clawful_ , you know that?"

Marinette stood and smiled into her hand. "And yet I'm not the one peeking into people's bedroom." She stood on her toes and placed a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, kitty cat. I'll ask Adrien out on Monday. I will. I promise!"

Cat Noir only smiled. _Looking forward to it,_ he thought to himself. "Until next time, Princess." He gave a deep bow that made Marinette giggle again before he vaulted over and away from the bakery. Once he was a safe distance, he looked back in the direction he came from and smiled. "Looking forward to it," he said out loud to himself this time.

* * *

 **ImperialOtaku : I've listened to your requested song and I'm sorry to say I can't think of a way to incorporate it into my fanfic. I still hope you stay to read and listen to the songs I've already selected in advance!**

 **FicsFromAnAnbiNin : They're supposed to be a series of oneshots, but upon going over my drafts I've discovered that some of them actually can fit in the same timeline. But over all, no, it's not a big story, just ordinary and unordinary moments fit into song.**

 **Special thanks to DragonShana, Scarlet guard101, ShadedRose82, and Temboi for favoriting/following for story, as well as the reviews mentioned above for leaving praise and request(s).**

 **Word Count: 2738**

 ** _~Corona Crown~_**


	3. On the Steps of the Palace

**_After the third and final night of the ball, Marinette finds herself in a sticky situation as she flees from the prince. Cinderella AU_**

* * *

 **[From: _Into the Woods_ ]**

The dress was a beautiful thing.

It was red and had black polkadots, giving it a ladybug design. Her gloves were red with a black fur cuff, and the slippers had an elegant ruby gleam to them.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng had been lonely since her father was called to war and didn't return, and when her mother died from illness. Her mother never remarried, and she was sent to live with a dear friend of hers. But unfortunately that friend died months later, and Marinette was forced to work and do inhumane chores ordered by the friend's daughter, one Chloé Bourgeois. She was a beauty in sight, but had a heart as black as coal.

Then one day, a letter came to them, as their family had connections to the royal family of Paris, and Chloé and her father were invited to attend to the prince's coming of age ceremony where he would choose a bride. Marinette had met the prince when she was child, was personal friends with him, and never saw him again when her father didn't return from the war. Marinette was delighted at the thought of seeing her childhood friend again, as the invitation stated Chloé may bring another guest, but the older girl laughed it off and instead took her lackey, Sabrina.

Marinette sought solitude at her mother's grave. When Sabine Dupain-Cheng died, Marinette planted a tree at her grave. She visited to often, and wept so much, that it had grown into a beautiful and handsome tree. It was here that the spirit of her mother created a dress made of rose petals and the soot and cinders that covered her body due to being forced to sleep by the ground near the fireplace.

Marinette went with a mask over her face. On the first night, she had fun, she spoke to people, she did more than she had ever wanted. Then she saw the prince.

Prince Adrien was speaking to Chloé, the former looking very uncomfortable as the latter draped herself over him. He caught Marinette's eye and and spoke to Chloé, making his way over to her as she huffed and stomped away.

Marinette had little doubt that he would remember her. She was only a baker's daughter who used to live in the palace, he had no use in remembering her or her name. Nonetheless, she watched as he introduced himself and asked her to dance. She accepted.

Prince Adrien had grown into a handsome young man, with blond hair and bright green eyes.

When the bell tower struck midnight, she uttered an excuse and ran through the castle halls and down the stone steps through the entrance before the prince could reach her. She arrived home before Chloé, her father, and Sabrina did, hiding the dress in a chest under the stairs where she knew no one would ever look, because that was where the cleaning supplies were stored.

On the second night, the prince found her again, asking for her name. She responded with Ladybug. He smiled and laughed, asking her to dance again. She accepted.

At midnight, she made her leave, this time without an excuse. It seemed that he was prepared as a guard stood at the entrance, but a woman Marinette met the previous night, introducing herself as the Lady Alya, kissed the guard. Murmuring a thank you, she quickly made her way down the steps and back home.

On the third night, the prince was more than prepared. As she left the castle, she was curious as to why there were no guards to stop her. She got her answer when she stepped on the steps, unable to move her feet. Her ruby slippers were stuck in pitch. She was unable to move. Any moment now, the prince would come and retrieve her. After that, she didn't know. He wouldn't want to marry her, or even be able to do; she was only a peasant.

 **["On the Steps of the Palace"]**

 _"He's a very smart prince. He's a prince who prepares. Knowing this time I'd run from him, he spread pitch on the stairs."_ She tried to lift her feet again, but only one of her feet was loose only slightly. _"And I'm caught unawares. Well it means that he cares... This is more than just malice."_ She looked back, hoping the guards hadn't arrived yet. _"Better stop and take stock while you're standing here stuck on the steps of the palace."_

The best she could was lift her feet out of her slippers, allowing her toes to reach the stone pavement. It felt cold and hard under her bare feet as she stepped away from the pitch to observe her situation at hand. She needed to think; was it best to stay a fraud or leave a free woman?

 _"All right what do you want? Have to make a decision. Why not stay and be caught? Should I give that a thought, what would be his response?"_ She looked down at her hands. They weren't soft and dainty like any upper-class woman like Chloé, they were rough from the baking and cleaning over her life. _"But then what if he knew who I am when I know that I'm not what he thinks that he wants?"_

She thought back to her childhood friend, the same friend who was responsible for her predicament. He didn't care about his father and mother being chefs in the castle before they became rich and left. Would he care now seeing how she was essentially a scullery maid, not the type of women worthy of being the prince's consort.

 _"Or, then, what if I am?"_ She thought to herself, could it be possible? _"What a prince would envision? But then how can you know who you are till you know what you want, which I don't? So then which do you pick."_ She looked down the steps, where she knew lay a future of pain and possible regret. _"Where you're safe, out of sight, and yourself, but where everything's wrong?"_ She looked down the empty pathway back to palace, where she knew lay possible perfection. _"Or where everything's right but you know that you'll never belong?"_ She bent down to try and pick up her slippers, but they stayed stuck. _"And whichever you pick, do it quick, 'cause you're starting to stick to the steps of the palace."_

No guards had her to arrive. Taking a deep breath, Marinette slowly moved down the steps, allowing her feet to avoid any pitch. _"It's my first big decision. The choice isn't easy to make. To arrive at a ball is exciting and all. Once you're there, though, it's scary. And it's fun to deceive when you know you can leave, but you have to be wary. There's a lot that's at stake, but I've stalled long enough, 'cause I'm still standing stuck in the stuff on these steps..."_

She scrambled down to the bottom, pausing only for the briefest of moments.

 _"Better run along home and avoid the collision. Though at home they don't care, I'll be better off there where there's nothing to choose, so there's nothing to lose. So I'll pry up my shoes."_ She made her way back up, and with an invigorated strength, lifted both of her slippers out of the pitch.

She paused.

 _"Wait, though, thinking it through, things don't have to collide. I know what my decision is, which is not to decide. I'll just leave him a clue. For example..."_ She looked at the slipper in her hand. _"...a shoe. And then see what he'll do."_ She smiled to herself as she set her left slipped back in the pitch. _"Now it's he and not you who'll be stuck with a shoe, in a stew, in the goo. And I've learned something, too, something I never knew, on the steps of the palace!"_

A voice called out to her. She saw the prince running to her. She quickly made her way down, allowing her bare feet, a single slipper in her hand, to touch the hard ground. She knew the prince would find the slipper; let us see if he cared enough to look for its owner.

And he did. The prince traveled through Paris in search of the young maiden who's foot fit the slipper. The prince used only this as he attended the fittings, taking note of any young women who did not have hair as dark as night and eyes as blue as the sea.

At the Bourgeois mansion, Marinette watched as Chloé's foot easily fit into the ruby slipped. However, she was shot down when she tried to play knowing the prince as he did not the physical description. Because of this, Sabrina was denied the slipper as well. When asked if any other women were here, servants or otherwise, Chloé tried to stop her as Sabrina brought up Marinette.

Almost hurriedly, the prince asked to see her. Monsieur Bourgeois brought Marinette, who easily slipped the slipper on her foot. They looked at each other as Chloé cried in outrage.

"I'd recognize you anywhere... my lady."

Marinette gasped. "A-Adrien?"

The attendant accompanying the prince reprimanded her for her behavior in addressing the prince.

"Nathalie, please," the prince pleaded. "Don't you remember? It's Marinette. She and her parents used to live in the palace. She's my best friend."

 _She's my best friend._ He spoke in the present tense.

The dress was a beautiful thing.

It was white and had yellow polkadots, giving it a ladybug design. Her gloves were white with a yellow fur cuff, and the slippers had an elegant golden gleam to them.

* * *

 **Special thanks to Cyber.199, Foxtrot0924, GrantWard'sHipterGlasses, and taelzer4 for favoriting/following.**

 **Word Count: 1715**

 ** _~Corona Crown~_**


	4. Falling for Ya

**_Adrien saves the singer's life when she falls off the stage._**

* * *

 **[From: _Teen Beach Movie_ ]**

The café was a regular hangout for young adults since it was right across the street from the university. It could be considered a bakery, what with all the pastries and bread it sold, but it was definitely styled to be a café.

When Adrien first stepped in, he noticed how calm and clean everything looked. There was a man singing on the stage, the platform almost five feet off the ground. Round tables circulated the are, everyone in a seat looking at the stage. Others were talking to the people they were with.

"Hey, Nino!" Upon spotting his friend behind the counter, Adrien walked up to him. "You weren't kidding when you said this place was a calm place to be, I've had more tension in a library."

"That's because you're always found something, dude!" Nino said. "The owners of this café have their own daughter going to the university and they redecorated the bakery they had with this style to let students relax."

"Really?" Adrien looked up and smiled as the man finished singing, politely applauding as the man smiled and left the stage. "People sing here?"

"Sing, comedy, skits, whatever," Nino said. "Alya does some backup vocals for the next performance. That's in ten minutes. Dude, you gotta buy something or sit down, there are people waiting."

Adrien turned around to see a small line of people behind him. He gave a sheepish grin as he took out his wallet. "Let me have some quiche, it's my favorite."

Once he made his purchase, he grabbed a fork and began to eat, taking a seat at the closest table by the stage. Three young women, one he recognized as Alya, Nino's girlfriend, came up with a microphone stand. The other he took a moment to place; they were Rose and Juleka, two girls in his chemistry class. The band performers came up after.

"Hey dude," Nino said, sitting on the seat opposite of him.

"I thought you were working," Adrien said as he finished his pastry.

"My shift just finished. Ladybug always sings the best songs, she writes them herself. She's also the daughter of the owners."

"Ladybug?"

Nino nodded. "She uses a stage name. Oh, it's starting!" The lights dimmed a little, a spotlight aiming at a fourth, unused microphone to a stage.

Pop-style music began to play. Then a young woman took the stage.

She was beautiful, Adrien admitted to himself, understanding why her name was so. She was wearing a red dress with black polka dots, a masquerade-eque ladybug mask over her blue eyes adorned with fake rubies and red and black feathers. Her black hair was loose her shoulders. She even had black elbow-length gloves.

 **["Falling for Ya"]**

 _"The day started ordinary,"_ she sang beautifully, _"boys walking by."_ Behind her, the other three ladies began to harmonize. _"It was the same old story. Too fresh or too shy. I'm not the kind to fall for a guy who flashes a smile."_

 _"It goes on for miles."_

Ladybug gestured with her hands and swayed her body, giving the entire song a feeling of ease and giddiness. _"Don't usually swoon. But I'm over the moon."_

 _"'Cause he was just too cool for school."_

She put the back of her hand to her forehead, as if she were actually swooning. _"And now I'm falling for ya, falling for ya. I know I shouldn't but I, I just can't stop myself from falling for ya, falling for ya. Can't hold on any longer and now I'm falling for you."_ She took the microphone off the stand and walked down the stage, making her way through the seats and people. _"Now we're going steady. He's the cat's meow."_

Adrien covered his mouth with his hand to stop the snort coming up; ah, cats.

 _"He says I'm a betty and we paint the town."_ She ran her gloved fingers over a redhead's shoulder, who actually seemed to swoon. _"I'm not the kind to fall for a guy just 'cause he says hi."_

 _"When he's cruisin' by."_

Ladybug sat on a table; the same table Adrien and Nino were at. She made eye contact and leaned close, saying, _"He's ready to race and I'm catching his gaze."_

 _"They'll go on like this for days."_ He caught Alya's eyes and for a moment thought he saw amusement in them.

Ladybug ran her finger across Adrien's jawline in an affectionate manner. _"And now I'm falling for ya, falling for ya. I know I shouldn't but I, I just can't stop myself from falling for ya, falling for ya. Can't hold on any longer and now I'm falling for ya."_ She winked at him before she got up and made her way up the stage.

Nino looked at him with a suggestive look on his face, warning a punch. Adrien was not going to cheat on his girlfriend, no matter how beautiful any 20-year old looked.

Ladybug danced softly on the stage. _"It feels like I tumbled from another world. Into your arms and it's so secure. Maybe I'll stumble but I know for sure. Head over heels, I'm gonna be your girl."_

The man on the stage began to play some stringed instrument that looked similar to a guitar. Ladybug continued to dance, closing her eyes. She swayed her hips, going up a single step every now and then. That's when Adrien saw something troubling: Ladybug was dancing closer to the edge of the stage. He looked around, seeing if anyone else was noticing. Some people were and looked on nervously. That's when her foot slipped and she fell.

Rushing with a speed he didn't know he had, Adrien got up and caught the young woman in his arms, her own hand clasping at his shirt tightly. She looked at him, almost breathless, before she smiled and winked before she started singing again.

 _"And now I'm falling for ya, falling for ya. I know I shouldn't but I, I just can't stop myself from falling for ya, falling for ya. Can't hold on any longer and now I'm falling for you."_

Adrien let the young lady down quickly, his face heating up as he realized he was carrying her for much longer than was necessary. Some people were applauding, but whether for her song or his quick actions, he didn't know.

"Thank you," Ladybug said. She kissed his cheek and winked at him again before she bowed to the crowd. As the lights lit the café again, she grabbed his arm. "Come, follow me."

"N-no, wait, I-I'm–"

"Please, think nothing of it! Just come!"

Baffled, Adrien let himself get dragged to behind the stage to a backdoor. He was led down a hallway and to a door with a ladybug on it. Inside was a dressing room, similar to the ones he would be taken to before his modeling shoots.

"I'm so sorry about that," Ladybug said as she slid her gloves off. "That song was dedicated to my boyfriend and I guess I got so into it that I didn't see where I was going."

Adrien relaxed upon seeing that she had no other intentions other than a thank you. "Oh, no problem. I'm glad you're okay, though. Your boyfriend, was he out there?"

"Oh yes. He's such a wonderful person, and so trustworthy to." She turned around from the mirror she was standing in front of and faced him. "What about you, handsome? You got someone in your life?"

Adrien cleared his throat as she took her red high heels off. "Y-yes. And I love her very much too."

"Oh, do you?" Though she still had the masquerade mask over her face, there was a spark in her eye that Adrien found way too familiar; he didn't like it in her eyes.

He briefly wondered if he could make a break for it to the door, but he was currently by the vanity in the corner and Ladybug was currently cornering him. There was no way he would resort to pushing her lest she make it sound like he attacked her to any security this place had.

"Y-yes. And I would rather much leave now, please."

"Oh, but I've yet to thank you!" Ladybug said. She was now so close that Adrien had to press against the wall and shrink himself a little. Her fingers tapped his chest.

"J-just say 'thank you.' That u-usually works for me."

She only giggled. "Come now, kitty cat. You really think that's going to cut it?"

Adrien blinked. "Did you just call me–" He was cut off as Ladybug suddenly leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. He resisted, trying to pushed her off, but her hands had a tight grip on his shirt. After a few seconds of resistance, he found something... familiar in the kiss. He couldn't help but melt into it, this time using his hands to press her closer. She could feel her grin as she backed up, green eyes meeting blue ones. "...Princess?"

She smiled, slipping the mask off her face to show her true colors. "Hello, kitty cat."

Adrien groaned, letting his head hit the wall. "Why did you do that, Mari? I was freaking out!"

Marinette giggled excessively into her hand. "I'm not sorry! I wanted to mess you a little and I knew you wouldn't be able to tell it was me with my hair like this, especially with the mask on." She held it up and placed it over her face. "What do you think? Too sexy?"

Unable to help himself, Adrien shrugged and said, "Eh, seems pretty spot on, though." He laughed as Marinette groaned. Once they calmed down, he placed a hand on her bare shoulder. "Seriously though, Princess. You really scared me like that, falling off that stage. You... was that on purpose?"

She shook her head. "No. It was an accident."

"You said it was for your boyfriend... You wrote a song for me?"

Marinette giggled. "I knew you were coming today. My parents want to meet you too, by the way. They're upstairs, if you're feeling up to it." She grabbed his hand to lead them to the sofa on the room when Adrien pulled her back. "Adrie–" This time, it was him who cut her off with a kiss. It was soft and sweet, and when Adrien hugged her, burying his face in the crook of her neck, she felt something wet. "Adrien, are you... crying?"

"I'm sorry..." he said through small sobs. "I thought... I know it's you now, but... And even when I didn't... I thought I was breaking your trust just but allowing myself to be seduced by someone who I thought wasn't you."

"Oh, Adrien." Marinette hugged him back, suddenly feeling remorseful. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to think that, I just wanted to mess you with a little."

Adrien managed to laugh through his tears. "Y-yeah. If I messed with you, you'd restrict kissing and cuddling and slap me. Twice. On both cheeks. So four times, technically."

"I'm sorry," she said again. "I love you, kitty cat."

His tears finally ceased, letting himself exhale a shivering breath as his grasp on her relax. He pressed a delicate kiss to her neck before he positioned himself on her neck again. "I love you too, my Ladybug."

* * *

 **Special thanks to Nightcrow712, Darkness in the moonlight, JadeDiamond11, and Curiosity- Or n0t for favoriting/following. I also take requests for songs, FYI!**

 **Word Count: 2015**

 ** _~Corona Crown~_**


	5. For Good

**_Hawk Moth has been captured, but Ladybug's identity has been revealed. It's all Alya's fault._**

* * *

 **[From: Wicked]**

It was raining in the alley where they met. Technically, it was raining everywhere, but it seemed to be heavier when they met near the park where they used to hang out the year before, just across the street from the bakery.

Alya carried a black umbrella with her before she heard something land with a small splash in the puddle behind her. She turned around and sighed with relief. "Marinette, thank god!" She moved to hug her best friend, but the superheroine took a step back.

"You think I can forgive you after what you've done?" Ladybug said harshly.

Alya flinched at her tone of voice. "I know. I seriously messed up, and I can't even begin to fix it it, but–"

"Fix it?!" Ladybug shouted. She pointed down the street. "My parents are dead because of you! Armed forces took them away when the media found out who I was and I've never seen them since! For the past six months, I've only been able to trust Cat Noir to be able to help me. And what, you suddenly send me a message and now you want to be friends again?"

"No!" Alya shouted. "I mean, yes! I mean..." She huffed. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I messed up bad, I should've put more thought into this! You were right to keep your identity a secret, but Adrien misses you and–"

"Adrien, at least, tried to cover up the media's plans! After everything that happened to him, with discovering his own father was Hawk Moth and willing to kill me and Cat Noir, you think I wouldn't trust him?"

Alya looked up at this. "But he said–"

"Of course he said that. He wasn't going to tell the media where Marinette was hiding! And you won't have to, either. We're leaving."

"L-leaving?"

"Yes, _leaving_. Cat Noir and I stayed so long because we hoped it would all blow over, that we could return to our normal lives. But it's been six months and people have gotten hurt because they wanted to capture Ladybug and extract my Miraculous for the 'good of the planet.'"

Alya looked at her. Ladybug had changed so much. "Why did you come then?"

She crossed her arms. "I figured you'd want to know what happened to Cat Noir's civilian form." She absentmindedly rubbed her stomach. "You could say we're eloping, basically."

Alya was shocked at this. "Damn, girl. You and him are an item?" She paused. "Girl... are you... _pregnant_?"

Seeing that she was still rubbing her stomach, Ladybug lifted her hands and sighed defeatedly. "He's the only one I've found solace with."

Alya only nodded, a little shocked at the information. "Okay, so... I don't suppose you'll tell me where you're going?"

Ladybug shook her head. "No. We'll just go away from Paris. It's a good thing Cat Noir is able to speak a few languages, and is able to support the three of us."

As if the confirmation wasn't enough, hearing the words "support the three of us" was a deal breaker. Alya sighed. "I'm sorry. For everything."

The superheroine looked up and nodded. "Yeah. Me too, for getting so angry at you six months ago."

 **["For Good"]**

"I'll think of you everyday, and what an aunt I couldn've been," Alya said, sniffling. _"I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason. Bringing something we must learn and we are led to those who help us most to grow if we let them, and we help them in return."_ She turned away from her friend, hiding her falling tears. _"Well, I don't know if I believe that's true. But I know I'm who I am today because I knew you..."_

She turned back to smile at her, taking Ladybug's hand in her own; she didn't pull away.

 _"Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes a sun. Like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood. Who can say if I've been changed for the better? But because I knew you, I have been changed for good."_ Alya smiled at the heroine, but she didn't smile back.

Ladybug still carried an angry and agitated frown on her face, not meeting her eyes. She took her hand away. _"It well may be that we will never meet again in this lifetime. So let me say before we part so much of me is made of what I learned from you. You'll be with me like a handprint on my heart."_ She pressed her own hands on her over her heart, offering only the smallest of smiles to Alya. _"And now whatever way our stories end, I know you have re-written mine by being my friend..."_

Ladybug stepped back from under the umbrella, spinning lightly as the rain pattered on her suit, face, and hair. _"Like a ship blown from its mooring by a wind off the sea. Like a seed dropped by a skybird in a distant wood. Who can say if I've been changed for the better? But because I knew you... Because I knew you, I have been changed for good."_ She made her way back with to her friend, looking away. _"And just to clear the air, I ask forgiveness for the things I've done you blame me for."_

Alya shook her head. She knew how selfless Marinette was; there was nothing she had done during her six months MIA that was worth apologizing for. But as for herself... _"But then, I guess we know there's blame to share."_

The two looked at each other and seemed to agree on a single thing. _"And none of it seems to matter anymore."_

 _"Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes the sun."_ Alya let the umbrella drop from her hands, letting the rain hit them both.

 _"Like a ship blown from its mooring by a wind off the sea._ _"_ Ladybug grabbed Alya's hands and spun her around in a merry circle, for once a true smile on her face.

 _"Like a stream that meets a boulder hallway through the wood."_

 _"_ _Like a seed dropped by a skybird in the wood."_

 _"Who can say if I've been changed for the better? I do believe I have been changed for the better. And because I knew you..."_ The two of them stopped spinning, facing the reality of the situation once more with a heavy feeling.

 _"Because I knew you..."_

 _"Because I knew you..."_

 _"I have been changed for good..."_

Alya wrapped her arms around Ladybug in a tight embrace, which the superheroine returned just as desperately. "Tell the little one all kinds of stories about her Aunt Alya?" she pleaded through her tears that were masked by the rain.

She felt Ladybug nod and heard a sniffle near her ear. "I'll tell them everything."

A week later, it was announce that Adrien Agreste had disappeared from school. Alya was shocked, wondering how it was even possible. It wasn't until another month later when it was confirmed that no new sightings of Cat Noir going through the streets of Paris at night that Alya knew the truth; Marinette might get that family with Adrien she wanted after all.

* * *

Adrien sat anxiously in the waiting room of the hospital, looking at his phone for what may be the third time that minute. He couldn't shake the nervousness coming off of him, the sweat trickling down his brow, the rapid movements of his knees and the heel of his foot tapping on the tiled floor.

"Are you okay, young man?"

Adrien looked up to see a female nurse looking at him with worry. "Yes," he said in English with an American accent. "I mean, no. I mean... maybe?"

The nurse looked at him worriedly before taking the seat next to him. "Is something wrong? Who are you here for?"

"M-my girlfriend," he said, ready to refute any argument that the nurse might have. "She's in labor. With our baby."

The nurse raised an eyebrow at him. "And how old are you?"

"Eighteen," he lied. In reality, his seventeenth birthday was the next month. "L-look, I know we may seem a little... young to be parents, but you need to understand that she's been through a lot. She lost her parents, her best friend, some people were after her, and she had to go into hiding. I was the only she could trust and we just sort of... connected." He shrugged. "But we can make it. I have enough from my father to support us all financially, and we've been prepping the baby's room since we moved here for a fresh start."

The nurse looked at him with a gaze that Adrien couldn't identify. "You know, child," she said, "I've seen teenagers younger than you try and support their baby, but they weren't able to. I've seen responsible adults give up their child because they didn't want it. But there are only a few times when I see someone unsure with little experience in childcare willing to put everything behind them and put their child and significant other first." She smiled. "And I wish you and your girlfriend the best of luck."

At this, Adrien let out a relieved smile. "Thank you."

"Felix?"

At the sound of his new name, Adrien turned to look down the hallway. "Yes?"

The doctor smiled and nodded. "You're welcome to come in now."

Adrien suddenly felt all anxious again. He stood up quickly, too quickly and giving himself a head rush. He followed the doctor down the maternity ward and into one of the rooms. He was sure the doctor said something, probably along the lines of leaving them alone, but Adrien wasn't paying attention.

There, in the hospital bed, was Marinette with a pink bundle in her arms. She looked up and smiled. "Hey, kitty," she said affectionately. "Come meet your daughter."

He dumbly took a few steps forward, standing next to his lady. Inside the link bundle was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. Soft, plump cheeks and thin, black hair. She was whimpering softly, most likely accustoming to her new environment.

"Do you wanna hold her?" she asked him in French.

Adrien looked up. "C-can I?" he asked nervously in the same tongue.

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Of course. She's your daughter too, you know."

He nodded, hesitatingly holding her arms out as she placed the bundle in his arms, silently cautioning him to watch her head. Standing with the baby in his arms, the newborn seemed to settle down once it was in a new pair of arms, squirming only a little as she finally rested.

"Oh, kitty," Marinette said with a laugh. "You're crying."

And how could he not be? Here he was with the two girls in his life the loved more than anything. More than being a superhero, more than being raised rich, more than running away to start a new life. Everything was as it was supposed to be for good.

* * *

 **Special thanks to laura.,** **Saphirabrightscale** , **and Yuki101 for favoriting/following. Is there any character that you would want to see sing? I'm still accepting song requests!**

 **Also, I want to point out that there aren't going to be too many chapters for this fic. A dozen, at the least, or even most.**

 **Word Count: 1979**

 ** _~Corona Crown~_**


	6. I Think I'm Gonna Like it Here

**_Marinette moves into the Agreste mansion during her summer internship._**

* * *

 **[From: _Annie_ ]**

Marinette tried her best to not yawn at Nathalie's tour around the Agreste mansion. It wasn't to say that what she was saying wasn't interesting—seriously, an indoor pool and voice-activated kitchen utilities?—but it was the way she was explaining them that bored her. Nathalie was explaining things too simply, too unappreciative.

"...and your room is just down that hallway over there," Nathalie was saying. Marinette snapped to attention when the assistant turned around to face her. "Any questions?"

She only shook her head. "No, thank you. But where's Adrien?"

Was it her imagination or did the corner of Nathalie's lips begin to curve into a smile?

"He's in his room," she explained. "I'd take you myself, but I'm afraid this is all the time I have right now. M. Agreste is in need of my assistance once more."

"Don't worry, I'll find it. Thank you!" Marinette walked back down the hallway, away from her room, separating herself from Nathalie when they reached the stairs. She was able to find Adrien's room with simple ease; at least the mansion wasn't a maze like most were in TV and books. "Adrien?" she called into the room upon opening the door.

"Just a minute!" Adrien was standing in front of his TV, a wireless controller in his hands as he played a racing game of some sort. Marinette was an avid gamer of her own genre, but this racing game didn't look familiar to her. The character he was controlled looked to be on a go-kart and racing on a rainbow track. "Yes! First place!"

Marinette laughed as she leaned on the back of the couch as Adrien exhaled heavily, sitting back down. "Tough race?"

"Oh, you have no idea," Adrien said with a hint of malice in his voice. "Rainbow Road is one of the most damning race tracks this game series has ever created. They only seem to get tougher and tougher with each installment, adding in new obstacles."

"Why's it so difficult?" Marinette asked, looking at the screen as the scoreboard showed the final tally. Adrien's character, a green dinosaur, was in first. All the way in last place was a blonde woman in a blue dress with a silver crown on her head. Maybe a princess.

"This is one of those race tracks with no railings," he explained. "You can easily fall or knock someone off the track, making them lag behind a few seconds before they come back into play." He set the remote down with a clatter. "But enough about that. What's with you, Bugaboo?"

Marinette giggled at the pet name and rhyme before she answered. "Nathalie gave me a tour of the place and all, but do you think you could give me one too? She was all business and I know you could be informal if you want to."

Adrien perked up at this. "Sure. Plagg! Will you and Tikki be okay staying in here for a little bit?"

Plagg poked his head out of the gift bag Marinette brought for him. "Don't mind me! Just eating me some camembert!" He disappeared into it again.

"Don't worry about us!" Tikki said from her place in the tin pan holding her cookies. "You kids go and have fun together!"

Adrien stood back up and took his phone out of his pocket. "Well, one of the more awesome things I should show you is this. Some of the things in the house are voice-activated, like the TVs for example. Once I have an input of your own voice, you'll have as much free control over them as I do." He held his phone in front of her. "Here, say something."

"What do I say?"

"Anything, it just needs your voiceprint."

Marinette smiled. She leaned forward over the couch and said clearly, "I think I'm gonna like it here." Her boyfriend chuckled as the message accepted her voice. On the TV, her own words appeared followed by a sound wave.

"There," Adrien said. "Now try saying something to the TV."

Marinette thought for a moment and smiled. "Play something pop and upbeat," she said aloud.

There was a moment of silence before music began to blast from the TV stereos.

"Best part is," Adrien said, holding his phone up, "it also plays on my phone." He grinned a cat's grin at her.

 **["I Think I'm Gonna Like it Here"]**

"I think I'm gonna like it here," Marinette said again, her smiling growing wider and wider until she only showed teeth. She took Adrien's hand and guided him out of the room. _"I think I'm gonna like it, I'm sure I'm gonna like it, I think I'm gonna like it here!"_

 _"So!"_ Adrien took her to the kitchen where a machine began to poor hot chocolate. _"Think it and it shall appear."_

 _"I think I'm gonna like it here."_ Marinette took the hot chocolate and took a sip before setting it down again, Adrien taking her away to a another TV in a large room.

 _"Because it knows just what you want to see."_ At his voice, the TV turned on and showed a playlist of movies and TV shows.

 _"Wait! I think it and it comes to me?"_ She followed her boyfriend eagerly to the next room, where he enthusiastically sat them at the end of a grand piano.

 _"Here's something grand for you to play."_

Marinette moved her hands to the keys, but then they began to play by themselves. _"Wait! I couldn't do that yesterday."_ She watched as the piano played itself a little more before Adrien took up the mantra, playing his own rhythm. _"I think I'm gonna like it here."_

 _"It's very hard not to, my dear!"_ Adrien took her hand and began to swing her joyously around the music room, letting his body move in temp with the music coming from his phone.

 _"Yes, yes! I think I'm gonna like it here. Yes, yes! I think I'm gonna like it here. Think I'm gonna like it here! I think I'm gonna like it here!"_ Marinette gasped when they knocked over a music stand, causing it to scratch against the piano. Adrien laughed and quickly guided her out of the room. _"Yes, yes! I think I'm gonna like it here. Yes, yes! I think I'm gonna like it here. Think I'm gonna like it here!"_

They made to the indoor pool, a rectangular thing that was blue and clear. _"Look! It knows the temp you're comfy in."_

 _"That's great! Can it teach you to swim?"_ She poked his shoulder at this, poking fun of his superhero persona.

Adrien only rolled his eyes. _"I got a coach, no need to fear."_ He let out a yelp when Marinette pushed him into the water, making him swim up and glare.

"I think I'm gonna like it here," she said with a grin on her face. Softening his gaze, Adrien leaned up for a kiss before being thrown into the water again.

Adrien got out and barely bothered to towel off before taking his lady around the mansion once more. _"Everything you've ever dreamed is at your fingertips. And if you haven't dreamed it yet, add it to your wishlist!"_ He finally led them to the hallway that ended Nathalie's previous tour. "Have you not seen your room yet?"

"I went looking for you before I could," she admitted. She opened the door and relished the sight inside. It was very beautiful, housing all the equipment she would need to sow and stitch her clothing, sketch paper for her ideas, even a tack board with examples of pieces of fabric she might use. "This is my room?" she exclaimed in shock.

"Well, it's not mine," Adrien put in.

Marinette's smile only grew once more, glad to be able to spend so much time with her boyfriend. _"I think I'm gonna like it, I know I'm gonna like it!"_ She made her way into the room, absorbing every detail she could.

 _"I know you're gonna like it!"_ Adrien agreed behind her. _"Damn right, you're gonna like it!"_

 _"I think I'm gonna like it here!"_

 _"Yes, yes! I think I'm gonna like it here. Yes, yes! I think I'm gonna like it here. Think I'm gonna like it here. I think I'm gonna like it here!"_ They took each other's hands again and swayed with the music. _"Yes, yes! I think I'm gonna like it here. Yes, yes! I think I'm gonna like it here. Think I'm gonna like it here!"_

 _"Yes, yes!"_ Marinette three herself on the comfy bed, Adrien landing next to her. Their hands were intertwined as they looked up at the ceiling.

"Father was _really_ impressed, you know," he finally said after a moment of peaceful and comfortable silence. He turned to face her, "I mean it. He's never given out a summer internship to anyone, not even someone like Chloé with money and power."

"Can you believe Chloé tried to sabotage me by trying to send the wrong fabric for the final design of the spring dress?" she said a little venomously. "That girl really needs to be taken down a peg."

Adrien sighed. "I wish I didn't have to say so, but Chloé's been so different since I knew her when we were kids."

"Why are you still friends with her, then?" Marinette asked, turning to lean on her elbow, letting her other hand cover his.

"It's just... I thought maybe I could get the old Chloé back. The Chloé that wanted to do good things and donate to charities."

"That rotten queen bee wanted to donate to charity?" she exclaimed before clearing her throat. "S-sorry."

Adrien shook his head. "No, it's fine. I think. I'm trying to get her back, but if I can't soon, then... Maybe I should just leave it be."

"Ordinarily I'd say yes, but because I love you, I'm going to say this." Marinette made sure she had his attention before speaking. "You care about Chloé. You want to see her happy because you've known her a long time. And if that's what you're so committed to, don't beat yourself up over your head, kitty."

Adrien smiled. "Thank you, my Lady. You always know how to cheer me up." He relaxed as Marinette rested her head on his arm, the two of them cuddling up like they'd do sometimes during inactive patrol nights. "We still have to explain the scratches on the piano to Nathalie, though."

 _"Uggghhhhh..."_

* * *

 **Special thanks to QueenDisney201, lizzabethA, FTLuna, MoonlightSoulSong, darkcynical22, One-Crazed-Up-Dragon, and ShallowAsumptions for favoriting/following.**

 **This one does, in fact, connect with chapter one's "Just One Mistake." Chapter 11, the second-to-final chapter I'll be uploading, will the last part. I decided to form these three into a little storyline.**

 **Word Count: 1902**

 ** _~Corona Crown~_**


	7. Popular

**_Somehow, Chloé likes Marinette. The heroine almost wishes she was a brat again._**

* * *

 **[From: Wicked]**

"Hey, best friend!"

Marinette rested the urge to cry out in agony. Instead, she turned out and with a false joy and a false smile on her face, calling out, "Hey, Chloé! How are you?" _And to think, I almost managed to sneak away unnoticed!_

Chloé happily took her arm around her own and said, "So I was thinking, why don't you come over for a sleepover? It'll be just us girls! What do you say?"

Marinette reached into her backpack to take out the outline for the paper they were assigned that day. "Gee, Chloé, I'd love to, but I need to finish this paper today because tomorrow I'm going out of Paris for a week to visit family in China and–"

"Oh, no problem!" Chloé took the outline from her and passed it on behind her. "Sabrina will do it for you! See what a good friend I am? Helping you solve all your problems for you, hm!" She enthusiastically hugged her arm.

 _Why couldn't I let that car hit her?_ Marinette thought to herself for the hundredth time that day. She actually didn't need to leave Paris for a week; it would only be the excuse she needed to escape Chloé's grasp for the entirety of spring break! She caught Adrien's eye and mouthed a desperate _Help me!_ to him.

"Hey, Chloé," Adrien said, coming up to them as they walked out the front door of the colège.

"Adrikins!" Using only one hand, both of her arms were wrapped around Marinette's left and Adrien's right. "Look at us! We're the best trio this city's ever seen! We're like salt, pepper, and cumin! Or blue, red, and chartreuse! Or maybe Thing 1, Thing 2, and Whatever 3!" She giggled as she held the two of them tighter.

"A-Actually, Chloé," Adrien said. "Marinette can't go with you tonight because... because the two of us have a date tonight!"

At this, Marinette turned to him and mouth _What?!_

Chloé was much more vocal about it.

"What?!" She let of the two of them and turned to face them, hips on her hands. She frowned and stuck her bottom lip out as she looked at them crossly. "Since when did you two begin dating?"

"Since this morning!" Adrien said again. "Yeah, hah. I asked her out this morning and she agreed! Right, Marinette?" The look he had in his eye held all kinds of apologies, but Marinette barely noticed it.

"Um... yes! Of course! I mean, why wouldn't we go on a date, of course I yes say! I mean, say yes! Definitely! Absolutely! Of course! Positive! Oh god, please kill me..." She trailed off as she realized she was babbling. She hoped Chloé wouldn't hate her now. No, scratch that. She hope she _did_ hate her again.

Chloé gave the both of them an examining look before she burst out laughing. "I'm just joking!" she said, giving the both of them a hard punch on their shoulders. "You guys make a cute couple! But it's okay if you schedule for another time! I want my best friend with me tonight!"

Adrien looked at her with a wide mouth. "U-um–"

"Great!" Chloé took Marinette's hand and waved her fingers at him. "Toodles!"

And that's how Marinette found herself in a pair of expensive silk pyjamas as she sat banging her head against the carpeted floor.

"I can't take it anymore!" she cried out, venting to her kwami as her host was not currently in the room. "Chloe's driving me insane! She's even more infuriating now than she was before!"

"You can't let your anger be the best of you, Marinette," Tikki warned. "You'll only make things worse for yourself if you do."

Seeing that her kwami was right, Marinette nodded as she took deep breaths. "Okay, yeah. Fine, your right. I'm angry, grumpy, hungry, and still in disbelief that Adrien lied about a date, but I need to act calm. That's the only way Chloé and I will make it through tonight alive."

"That's the spirit, Marinette!" Tikki said. She hid in her host's purse when Chloé came into the room.

Chloé was dressed in a pink bathrobe, her hair loose and pink, fuzzy slippers adorning her feet. "So what do you want to talk about?" she said as she kneeled next to Marinette at the foot of the large bed. "Ladybug? Adrien? Makeup tips? Because seriously, Mari, you need to do something about those freckles! They just scream, 'look at me! I'm a mess!'"

Well, nice to see that some of the old Chloé was somewhere underneath the current one, at least.

"And you know what else?" she cried gleefully, kneeling by Marinette next to the bed on the floor. One would think the mayor's daughter would declare herself high in power to kneel on the floor. "You see Marinette, now that we're friends, I've decided to make you my new project." She held up a brush in one hand and a nail filer in the other.

At this, Marinette gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to cringe. She did _not_ want herself dolled up like Chloé was. The fact that she didn't have people put her makeup on themselves was shocking.

"You really don't have to do that," Marinette tried to reason.

Chloé gave a bright giggle that was so uncharacteristically like her that it gave the heroine goose-flesh. "I know. That's what makes me so nice!" She took Marinette's hand and forced her to stand, guiding her to the vanity in the room. It was surrounded by all sorts of things Marinette had no name for, which might soon be plastered all over her face as Chloé set her in the chair, making her look at her reflection.

There was long list of words Marinette would use to define Chloé, but "nice" was most certainly not one of them. She should know; she and Alya had a literal list at the bakery.

 **["Popular"]**

 _"Whenever I see someone less fortunate than I—and let's face it; who isn't less fortunate than I?"_ Chloé joyously swiveled the chair Marinette sat on, making the poor girl a little dizzy. _"My tender heart tends to start to bleed. And when someone needs a makeover, I simply have to take over. I know, I know exactly what they need. And even in your case..."_ She held her jaw tightly with her hands, frowning as some kind of powder was brushed on her cheeks. _"Though it's the toughest case I've yet to face. Don't worry; I'm determined to succeed. Follow my lead and yes, indeed. You will be..."_

She swiveled the chair again, making Marinette's loose hair spin behind her and flap dumbly. _"Popular! You're gonna be popular! I'll teach you the proper poise you talk to boys, little ways to flirt and flounce!"_ Next she used something akin to a pencil, eyeliner, maybe, and began to trace around Marinette's eyes. _"I'll show you what shoes to wear, how to fix your hair. Everything that really counts to be popular! I'll help you be popular!"_

Once she was done with that, Chloé took Marinette off the chair and guided her to her practical walk-in closet, grabbing dresses and holding the clothes hanger over Marinette's body to see how they would look. _"You'll hang with the right cohorts. You'll be good at sports. Know the slang you've got to know. So let's start, 'cause you've got an awfully long way to go."_ Without waiting for any sort of permission, Marinette was thrown onto a soft chaise and felt various shoes being forced into her feet.

 _"Don't be offended by my frank analysis. Think of it as personality dialysis. Now that I've chosen to become a pal, a sister and adviser. There's nobody wiser."_ She took Marinette's hand, pulling her up and more-or-less dancing with her with wild swings around her room. _"Not when it comes to popular. I know about popular And with an assist from me to be who you'll be, instead of dreary who-you-were–"_ She paused to look at Marinette. _"–or, are. There's nothing that can stop you From becoming populer...lar..."_

Pausing at the little misinformed rhyme in her verse, she only shrugged it off and left Marinette alone, spinning around and waving her hands melodically in the air. _"La la la la. We're gonna make you popular."_

She guided Marinette back to the vanity, setting her in the seat and away from the mirror. She picked up some other supplies and returned to work. _"When I see depressing creatures with unprepossessing features, I remind them on their own behalf to think of celebrated heads of state or especially great communicators. Did they have brains or knowledge?"_ At this she paused to let out a chortle. _"Don't make me laugh! They were popular! Please."_

She set what she had down on the vanity and began to dance around again, a literal skip in her steps. _"It's all about popular! It's not about aptitude, it's the way you're viewed. So it's very shrewd to be very, very popular like me!"_ She spun Marinette in her chair and sighed affectionately at their reflections. "Why, Mademoiselle Marinette, look at you! You're beautiful."

Now, this wasn't the first time Marinette had used makeup. She had worn her light amounts of it on previous occasions, like for a wedding on her mother's side of the family and even during a school dance once the previous school year. But was something entirely; she actually did look beautiful, as if a classically trained artist picked up brush and composed the details of her face. And suddenly, it was too much for Marinette.

"I-I have to go," she stammered. She took the expensive robe off, glad that she decided to wear have worn her pajamas underneath. She threw her shirt, pants, and jacket on over her sleeping clothes before grabbing her purse with Tikki still inside. "It's just... There's this thing, family thing and– Yeah, no backing out of it, so... Bye." It was a lame excuse, she knew that, but it was the best she could come up with in the spur of the moment.

"You're welcome!" Chloé called after her before letting out an exasperated sigh. So much for girl's night.

She looked down at the mirror and admired her own reflection for a moment before she thought back to the elegant beauty that was Marinette right now. _"And though you protest your disinterest, I know clandestinely."_ She smiled and stood back up. _"You're gonna grin and bear it, your new-found popularity! La la la la!"_ She made her way to her bed before throwing herself onto it. _"You'll be popular. Just not quite as popular as me!"_

In the elevator, Marinette looked at her reflection on her phone as Tikki looked on over her shoulder. It was a good thing they were alone.

"What's wrong, Marinette?" the kwami asked worriedly. Her wielder looked like she was about to cry.

"It's just... _look_ at me!" She directed to the phone in her hands, being careful to not accidentally tap the shutter button and take a selfie.

"What's wrong?"

"That's just it! Nothing's wrong! Chloé didn't draw a mustache on my face, she didn't use clown makeup, she didn't give me fangs or an over or underbite. I... I actually look _good_!"

Tikki flew off her shoulder and hovered in her line of sight. "And what's wrong with that?"

"Well, it's just... Is it wrong to feel like I still want Chloé to hate me after this?"

"Just give it time, Marinette," Tikki said calmly. "This new version of Chloé is annoying, I know, but maybe you and her can actually be good friends. You never know unless you give her a chance instead of distancing yourself like you've been doing this whole time."

As much as she hated to admit it, seeing Chloé do something like this, even if it meant making herself look better as well, made Marinette think that maybe the new Chloé wasn't so bad. More annoying than the first, but still spot on. Oh great, she did a pun. Thanks a lot, Cat Noir.

The elevator dinged, signaling that they had reached the ground floor. Marinette didn't actually have much with her when Chloé dragged her to her car, so she was sure of not leaving anything behind as she walked across the lobby to the exit. She was about to take out her phone and maybe call one of her friends for a ride—it wasn't too late yet, the sun was barely setting—when she heard someone call out to her.

"A-Adrien!" she called out.

The model in question (or rather, exclamation) nodded and smiled at her. "Hey, Marinette. I was just coming by and– whoa." He stopped when he saw his friend's face. "You're beautiful."

This caused Marinette to ball her hands up into fists and cover her blushing cheeks with them because she was _not_ currently able to deal with the fact that _Adrien called him beautiful, OH MY GOD._

"I-I mean, you're pretty! Not beautiful! No, you _are_ beautiful, it's just... I meant it loosely, like, in a generic term, I mean, I never see you with makeup and it's such a nice change– Not that anything was wrong before! It's just, it's nice to see you more prettier than usual! So... Yeah... You're beautiful." He slapped his cheek once he was done, steeling himself.

"U-um... W-why are you here?" Marinette was sure that her voice rose _at least_ an octave.

Adrien coughed as his own cheek burned red, but Marinette was pretty sure it wasn't from the slap. "Huh? Ah! Yes! Right! R-right, see, I could tell Chloé was becoming a little... attached to you, I guess, so I thought I'd come and save the princess from her prison in the keep!" He coughed again.

"So...?"

"So..." Adrien repeated, a grin growing on his face. "We still have that date, right?"

Everything regarding anything excluding Adrien was thrown to the deepest corners of Marinette's brain. "...what?"

"R-remember? After school, when Chloé dragged you away. I said we were going on a date. I was thinking maybe dinner and a movie. What do you think?"

It took Tikki shifting slightly in her purse for Marinette to realize he was actually serious about this. "O-oh! Yeah, sure!"

Adrien lit up. "That's great! Um, let's go, Gorilla's waiting in the car outside."

Marinette was confused as Adrien guided her shoulder into the cool Parisian air the evening offered. "W-wait, you mean right now?"

At this, the model turned red again. "Y-yah?" He didn't even speak correctly. God, Marinette wanted to kiss him right then and there, looking adorable in a blushing mess as he rubbed the back of his head with his hand.

She didn't realize she was actually doing so until Adrien was kissing back.

"So," Adrien said when he pulled back, grinning at a stiff and reddening Marinette in his arms. "I hear dinner's a popular choice for first dates."

* * *

 **Special thanks to ShallowAssumptions, Miko in training, MiraculousDragonMaster, and roxan1930 for following/favoriting!**

 **Word Count: 2672**

 ** _~Corona Crown~_**


	8. When Words Fail

**_Cat Noir decides that it's time; it's time he confesses his feelings to his Princess._**

* * *

 **[From: Shrek the Musical]**

Never in his nine lives did Cat Noir think he would ever fall this hard for someone. He loved his Lady, he really did, but visiting his Princess made him realize his heart wasn't big enough for the both of them.

Honestly, he felt like a jerk, having to choose between the two of them. It made him feel immature, almost like a player, leading one or both of them on. But he loved Marinette in a way that Ladybug couldn't accept, and that made him sad. But it made him happy when he realized just how much in love he was with this girl.

Adrien and Marinette had been doing much better. All the stuttering made Adrien worry that she still carried some kind of grudge against him for the gum incident, but she had calmed down a lot since the two of them and Alya and Nino started hanging out together. And his visits as Cat Noir started a flame that grew brighter.

And now, here he was, on a spring night with a bouquet of orchids—her favorite flower—and with a confession that he spent all day working on that he still couldn't get right.

He was massively screwed.

"Uh, hi, Princess," he said to the air as he stood on Marinette's balcony. The light shining through her trapdoor signaled that she was still up despite the high moon. "Uh... I just wanted to say, that..." He awkwardly offered the flowers to the air. "I-I got these for you. They're..." He sighed, letting his hands fall as the petals rustled against each other. "This is gonna be harder than I thought."

He could feel his tail drop to the floor. He was sure his ears were the same, all droopy in sadness.

 **["When Words Fail"]**

He cleared his throat and tried again, hiding the bouquet behind his back as he spoke to the air again. "Princess. I... How's it going, first of all? Good? Uh, it's good for me too. I'm okay."

It wasn't the best conversation starter, but it was the best he could come up with at a time like this. He exhaled before pulling the bouquet out in front of him again. " _I picked these flowers. Outside the city is where it grew. And I don't really like it, but it made me think of you."_ He faltered before he picked himself up again. _"Because it's pretty. Is what I'm trying to say. And you are also pretty, but I like you anyway."_

Great, now he made it sound like her beauty was a flaw.

Deciding to change the non-existent topic, he shook his head and presented the bouquet in front of him again. _"So please accept these flowers with their petals and the stem. Which represent my feelings and tells you how..._ Oh man, I'm in trouble." He slapped his forehead and mumbled, cursing that he couldn't present his feelings well. He looked down at the bouquet, tightening them a little in his grip in nervousness.

 _"When words fail, what will I do? When words fail, how will she know how I feel? When words fail, will I fail too?_ " He set the bouquet down and used his baton to stretch it to the next building over. Once it acted like a tightrope, he climbed on it and began to walk across, offering his arm to the air. _"Hello, fair Princess. Oh look, the moon is out tonight."_

The moon, yes. The moon was a good comparison.

 _"You remind me of that moon because it's big and bright."_ Abort, abort, abort! _"And by big I don't mean chubby,"_ Cat Noir quickly added, looking apologetic at nothing in front of him as he stood in the middle of his tightrope. _"Obviously you're not fat. But your personality is biggish, is what I meant by that."_ He made a mental note to avoid this mistake if he decided to confess under the moonlight; under the moonlight would be good, it sounded romantic enough.

He cleared his throat as he tried to revise his statement. _"Sorry 'bout that fat thing, I'm not too bad myself."_ When in doubt, boost one's ego, no? _"You've gone against your gene pool, which reminds me of–_ Oh, where I am going with this?" He pinched the bridge of his nose at this, suddenly questioning if this was a good idea in the first place and wondering what he hell he meant by "gene pool."

He crouched on the other side of the tightrope, looking at Marinette's winks as light streamed through it. She was still awake, then.

 _"When words fail, what will I do? When words fail, how will she know how I feel? When words fail, will I fail too?"_ He stood up and slowly walked across, trying to stall himself for more time. _"Do I have a snowball's chance? Are my prospects just too grim? I spent my life stuck in the mud. Now I'm crawling out on a limb."_

He made it back to his Princess's roof and picked up the discarded bouquet, retracting his baton and putting it back on his back. The paper holding the flowers was wrinkled and the petals lost a bit of their sheen. He bought back to all the times he visited as Cat Noir, how she seemed to get him as easily as Ladybug. She knew when he was upset, when he was happy, when wanted to talk. She just... _knew_ him.

 _"If words fail, she'll know what I mean."_ He delicately ran his claws over the petals, feeling the way they bounced in the night wind. _"If words fail, she'll just take my hand. She sees me like no one else has."_ He felt a smile dawn over his face. He straightened and brought his chin up, a grin forming on his face. _"If words fail, she'll understand... She'll understand!"_

Once more filled with the determination he needed, he jumped into the fray. Well, not literally. He peeked through the glass of the hatch and found Marinette sitting on her bed, looking down at something in her hands. Her phone, maybe. Her back was turned to her and obscuring his view, but it was difficult to tell. Either way, it meant that she was alone, which was just how Cat Noir wanted it.

He opened the hatch and poked his head in, looking upside down at his classmate. God, even upside down she looked beautiful, even if it was just her back. He opened his mouth to announce himself when she spoke.

"I just don't know what to do, Tikki. Cat Noir's my friend, but I don't want to hurt him."

He paused. Was she talking on the phone? But who would she be talking to? His night meetings with her were supposed to be a secret... unless she actually said something to someone?

"What does your heart say, Marinette?" a voice said. It was small and feminine, and it seemed to come from in front of Marinette herself.

 _But there's no one there?_

"I... I like Cat Noir. A lot. But it wouldn't be fair for him to have this kind of relationship anymore. I think it might be best if he stops coming over for visits."

If Cat Noir had been using the steps, he was sure he would have fallen. In fact, he was pretty sure the bouquet fell out of his hand and onto the steps, but Marinette didn't seem to hear. She... didn't want to see him anymore?

"But you like Cat Noir! You said it yourself, you even talked about wanting to kiss him in his sleep!"

"Tikki!" Marinette scolded. "Not so loud!"

Something small and red appeared in front of Marinette. "You like Cat Noir, Marinette. What's so wrong about that?"

"What's wrong is that Cat Noir likes Ladybug, and I'm not her!"

Tikki sighed. "How many times do I have to say this, Marinette? You are Ladybug, with or without the mask. It's the person that makes the hero, not the other way around. The reason Ladybug fights akumas is because Marinette chose to. The reason Ladybug compliments Alya's Ladyblog is because Marinette wants to see her best friend happy. And the reason Ladybug returns Cat Noir's affections is because Marinette returns them as well!"

Marinette shook her head. "I-I don't know, Tikki. This is just one big..."

"Catastrophe?" Cat Noir let his presence be known. He smirked at his little pun as he made his way down the stairs, holding the recovered bouquet behind him.

"C-Cat!" Marinette stood up, positioning herself in front of the red kwami. "Uh... how much did you hear?"

Cat Noir smiled. "I heard enough, Princess. Or should I say... my Lady?" His smile turned into a full smirk as Marinette's cheeks flushed red. "Aw, come on, Bugaboo, you gotta be better than that at hiding your kwami."

Marinette looked away. "You're not... disappointed?"

The smirk on his face fell. "Why would I be disappointed?"

"It's just..." Marinette barely registered the fact that Tikki had flown away. "Under the mask, I'm just this... this clumsy, awkward girl."

"So?" Cat said, using his free hand to gesture the mask. "Under the mask, I'm not all suave and flirts and swagger. Well, maybe swagger, but not suave."

Marinette looked up. "What... what do you have?"

At this, Cat Noir himself turned a little red. "Ah. Um, about that." He sighed with relief. "Knowing you're also Ladybug takes a whole lot of guilt off my shoulders." He presented the bouquet, almost hitting her on the face with them as he extended his hands to hold it with them both. "I-I got these for you."

Marinette took the flowers with confusion. "Th-thank you. How did you know orchids were my favorite?"

Cat Noir suddenly remembered it was Adrien who Marinette revealed that specific information. "A little birdie told me," he said hurriedly.

His Princess seemed to notice and raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh. I thought you were allergic to feathers?"

He cleared his throat. "I-I wanted to get you these because I have something I wanted to tell you. I was at war with himself on whether or not to tell you, Marinette, but eventually I decided to just go for it. And on my way here, I was freaking out that I was betraying Ladybug's trust, but how could I when we weren't even a thing? Of course, now that I know you're the same person, it makes this a whole lot easier and relieves me of so much of the stress that I had most of the day enough to make my hair white and–"

"Cat!" Marinette declared, raising her voice. "What did you want to tell me?"

"I love you, Marinette." Okay, just let all out, that was good. Maybe. "I... really, _really_ love you. As Marinette. And now that I know you're Ladybug, I love you so much more." He took her stunned hands into his claws. "These visits mean so much to me. I don't have a lot of freedom in my personal life, and what little of it I have I spend with my closest friends, but it's not enough. Being Cat Noir gave me this sense of freedom I've never had before, but visiting you just made it so much better."

He tightened his hold on her hands even more, looking down at them and not at her.

"I fell in love with your determination to help everyone. With the way you dedicate yourself into a project, with the way you trip over nothing and the way you make those cookies just right. I love everything about you, Marinette. And your kwami is right, it's the person that makes the hero. When you captured all those akumas when Hawk Moth first showed himself, I told myself that I would whoever it was underneath that mask. And I did. I still do. I love you, Marinette."

He waited. He waited a long, agonizing moment, still not daring to look up. He wasn't sure why she wasn't saying anything. Did her kwami not say that she liked Cat Noir and dreamed of kissing him? Did she really not return her affections?

"I-I'm sorry," Marinette gasped out. "But I love someone else."

Apparently she didn't.

Cat Noir looked up in shock, Marinette's cheeks stained with tears. "W-what?"

She sniffled before she spoke. "I love someone else. That's why... that's why I wanted to stop seeing you. Because I love him."

It was like a blow to his heart. He lost her. He lost both of her.

Cat Noir released her hands, standing as he rubbed the back of his head. He suddenly felt all awkward. "I'm sorry."

Marinette shook his head. "N-no, it's not your fault. I... should have worded it better."

 _Maybe_. "Well, he'll be a lucky guy," Cat Noir attempted. This was too much, too much for him to take right now. He needed to go. He needed to leave so he can wallow in his own tears. But he didn't want to leave her alone.

Marinette's sniffed. "Please. I don't think he even likes me that way, but I've loved him for a long time. I can't bear to give up now."

 _I know the feeling. At least, I did_. "And I don't think you should," Cat Noir said. _Abort, abort._

She looked up at him. "O-oh?"

He nodded. "Well, yeah. I mean, he's crazy to not have loved you already!" He tried to be optimistic for her, he really did. "I mean, what's not to love?" _Don't cry, Adrien, don't cry._ "Everything about you is perfect!" _Don't cry, don't cry._ "If anything, you should've just ask him out already." _Don't cry, don't–_ "Oh g-god!"

Marinette watched in horror and guilt as Cat Noir suddenly began to spring his own tears. His light complexion reddened as he gritted his teeth, using one of his fisted hands to cover his eyes and looking down as the other one pressed against his stomach, probably trying to keep it from heaving. This was too much for Marinette herself.

Offering what solace she could, Marinette threw her arms around his neck, a hug which he gracefully accepted. Unlike Marinette, Cat Noir tried to stifle his own tears, exhaling heavily through his clenched teeth as he tightened his grip in inhaling the bread and shampoo smell deeply coming from the girl he loved. He had a feeling he wouldn't ever have a chance to smell it again.

Then, without any indication whatsoever, they both leaned back a little and let their lips meet in a kiss.

It wasn't a perfect kiss, what with one participant almost heaving and the other not breathing (three guesses which is which). It took them three seconds for their lips to move against each other, seven to use tongue, and fifteen before they realized what they were doing and stepped out of each other's arms.

Both of them were red with stains running down their faces.

"I should go," Cat Noir said.

"Wait." Marinette grabbed his arm and pulled him towards her. He was absolutely still as she gave him a another kiss on his lips, soft and delicate. "I'm sorry."

Cat Noir only nodded. "Me too."

But as he made his way up the steps to the balcony, he spotted something he'd seen a hundred times before. He didn't know why he hesitated; it was the same thing everyday. But only this time, it meant something else.

One of the magazine covers with him on it was on the floor. It was no big deal, it always seemed to be. It was an old issue, it would make sense why Marinette would have forgotten about it. But this time, he saw something on the cover that wasn't on the final project.

Hearts.

Hand-drawn hearts, to be correct. Red ones that almost blended neatly with the orange background. And on the bottom, written in very familiar handwriting, were the words _Madame Marinette Agreste._

His Lady returned his affections, after all.

Never in his whole life had he run to dip Marinette in his arms for a kiss so fast than the first time he did it.

* * *

 **Special thanks to Shannon Rei D. Sumner for following.**

 **This is one of my favorites, and as you can probably tell, it's a little angsty. I decided to do it like this and was about to leave out the part with the hearts entirely before I though, _nope, not happening, my heart can't take my work like this._ And thus, the rushed, relieving ending came into play.**

 **Shoutout to Mandelpa who PM'd me and suggested I do this song with Cat Noir instead of Adrien, as was my original idea.**

 **Word Count: 2924**

 ** _~Corona Crown~_**


	9. I Can Hear the Bells

**_The French term "clap of thunder" applies to someone who's fallen in love with another; perfect for someone offering an umbrella to another in the rain. Of course, there's more than one way to fall in love._**

* * *

 **[From: _Hairspray_ ]**

Even though Marinette was sitting right behind Adrien, she made little to no contact with him during the first class. When he passed back a worksheet to her, he offered a small smile. Marinette eyed it suspiciously with narrowed eyes before she took the papers, took two for Alya and herself, and passed it behind her to Ivan. Adrien looked crestfallen before turning to face the front.

The gum incident from the from the day before weighed on her mind. Because Adrien Agreste was another pretty boy with money similar to Chloé, she vowed to herself that she would keep a watchful eye on him. She would make sure he wouldn't humiliate another student again. If she reported his actions quickly, he could receive punishment and she wouldn't have to worry about any threats he would give to her invoking expelling her or revealing secret information about her. It might be the renewed confidence of Ladybug in her acting like this, but it made her feel like she was finally doing something other than letting Chloé get her way.

But he never seemed to plot anything during class, not even when Chloé proclaimed that Alix had cheated on the short survey they were given that day, copying her answers. It was Adrien who pointed out that it was a survey; it wasn't to be graded and copying someone didn't matter. Angry, she grabbed Alix's hat and threw it on the trash bin as she and Sabrina left the room as class ended.

Marinette left the class, but she lagged by the door as the other students left. Peeking inside, she saw Adrien pick the hat out of the trash, dusting it off before he handed it to its owner.

"Sorry about her," Adrien said apologetically. "I've never seen her act this way before. Well, aside from yesterday when she put gum on Marinette's seat."

"Ah, its fine." Alix took the hat and placed it on her head. "I gotta say, though, when was the last time you saw Chloé? She's been like that for years."

Adrien's eyes widened. "Wait, really? Ah, I should've known. I'm sorry about that."

"Like I said, no big deal. So check it, Kim and I are gonna race around the building during lunch and we're placing bets. Can I count on yours?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry, but I'm heading home during lunch. Good luck in your race, though." He pulled the strap of his bag over his shoulder and waved at her, making his way outside. He made his way to the stairs and saw Marinette standing by the railing looking very distressed.

And really, how could she not be? Once Marinette was sure their conversation finished, she moved away to make it look like she was never listening in. She could almost hear Tikki scolding her for eavesdropping like that from inside her purse, but after hearing everything, Marinette was beginning to doubt that Adrien was anything like Chloé at all. Sure, everything he said could have been a ruse to gain Alix's trust before pulling the rug out from under her, but Marinette was pretty good at spotting a liar. And Adrien didn't lie when he admitted to not knowing about Chloe's actions.

"Marinette!"

Speak of the devil. Looking up, she saw Adrien making his way towards him. She only made eye contact briefly before she looked away. She wasn't sure of his true intentions yet.

Adrien faltered a little when she looked away from him. "Listen, Marinette," he started. "I was only trying to take the gum off your seat, I promise. I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot, it's just... I've never been to school before. Ever. I never had friends. All this, for me, it's... it's a bit new. I would never intentionally hurt you, or anyone for that matter. I'll try and talk to Chloé, though."

Marinette took in the features of Adrien's face. His worried eyebrows, his creased forehead, his tightened jaw, his tan skin, his emerald eyes, his hesitant smile, his... wait, what?

The school bell rang, signaling that the next class would start soon.

"I should go, I have PE next. Are... are we good?" He carefully placed his hand on her shoulder, asking with his eyes if he was crossing any boundaries with the physical contact.

It a moment for the question to register in her mind. "Y-yeah! Good, very good, yep, good. Oh, I'm st-stammering, why am I-?"

Adrien gave a light chuckle as he passed her, accidentally pushing her against the railing as he did so. "Oh, sorry. Are you okay?"

Not trusting herself to speak, Marinette only nodded vigorously and hummed, a wide grin plastered on her face. She moved to stand at the top of the stairs, her sight not leaving Adrien's back as he left through the front doors.

"There you are, girl! Where'd you go? I was halfway to the library when I realized you weren't with me, I spent all the time talking about Ladybug to nobody! People must've thought I was a crazy person, talking to myself about that. Er, Marinette? Are you listening?"

Marinette didn't even register Alya talking.

 **["I Can Hear the Bells"]**

 _"I can hear the bells,"_ she said dreamily.

Alya frowned, looking towards the exit and no one by it. "What, what are you talking about?"

The blogger's friend turned to her, looking very starstruck. _"Well, don't you hear 'em chime?"_

She shrugged. "Chime's not exactly how I'd put it." She briefly wondered if her new friend had a history of mental problems.

Marinette took a single step down, taking Alya's hand and placing it over her heart, who quickly retracted it and shrugged at Kim and Max as they walked past them. _"Can't you feel my heart-beat keeping perfect time? And all because he touched me. He looked at me and stared."_ She continued down the stairs, Alya staring at her oddly as she followed.

 _"Yes, he bumped me."_ Marinette's hip collided with her friend's as she took another step. _"My heart was unprepared when he tapped me..."_ Her finger poked at Alya's shoulder. _"...and knocked me off my feet. One little touch, now my life's complete 'cause when he nudged me, love put me in a fix. Yes, it hit me just like a tonne of bricks."_

Distracted in her own world, Marinette roughly grabbed Nathanaël's collar and pinned him against the railing at the bottom of the stairs, causing the poor boy to struggle. It took a lot of strength for Alya to remove her arm, surprised at the girl's own strength and how difficult it was to remove it. She gave an apologetic smile to him as he picked up his sketchbooks and ducked his head down when he walked away. She still saw the blush on his face, though.

 _"Yes, my heart burst. Now I know what life's about. One little touch and love's knocked me out and I can hear the bells."_ Alya had to more or less keep a double eye out on Marinette to make sure she didn't hit anyone as spun slowly, holding her arms out like a propeller. _"My head is spinning. I can hear the bells, something's beginning. Everybody says that a girl who acts like me..."_ She took a cookie Rose offered her, who tilted her head a little in confusion. _"...can't win his love well just wait and see 'cause..."_ Alya pulled her away before she could embarrass herself more.

She took her straight to Madame Julia's nurse's office. Marinette seemed unaware as she sigh wistfully on the examining table. _"I can hear the bells, just hear them chiming. I can hear the bells, my temperature's climbing."_

Madame Julia frowned as she removed the thermometer from her mouth. Everything was normal.

 _"I can't contain my joy 'cause I've finally found the boy I've been missin'. Listen!"_ She got off the table and pulled on Madame Julia's arm, who listened to the air. _"I can hear the bells."_

Marinette walked away from the nurse's office, holding her backpack in her arms as she squeezed it tightly. _"Round one, he'll ask me on a date, and then, round two, I'll primp but won't be late, because, round three's when we kiss inside his car!"_ She leaned on a window as she thought about the car Adrien might have. He may not drive it, but that didn't mean he didn't have one. _"Won't go all the way, but I'll go pretty fa-ar!"_

She reached into her backpack and pulled out her own personal lucky charm, the bracelet she made. She wrapped the string around her finger. _"Round four, he'll ask me for my hand, and then, round five, we'll book the wedding band, so by round six, Chloé, much to your surprise, this awkwardly champion takes the prize and I can hear the bells!"_

She entered the bathroom with grace, Alya still following her and eyeing her with trepidation. _"My ears are ringing. I can hear the bells, the brides-maids are singing."_ She entered one of the stalls and didn't close it, using the toilet paper and balling it up she had a hand-crafted paper bouquet in her hands. _"Everybody says that a guy who's such a gem, won't look my way well the laughs on them 'cause I can hear the bells."_

She tossed the bouquet to Alya, who caught and looked at it in shock, wondering how Marinette was able to make such a beautiful thing in only a few seconds. It was only when she remembered what it was made of did she feel hesitant to hold it. She threw it into the sink before following Marinette out.

 _"My father will smile, I can hear the bells, as he walks me down the isle!"_ Marinette took long strides, holding her arm out to the air as she imagined the scenario in her head. _"My mother starts to cry but I can't see 'cause Adrien and I are french kissin'. Listen! I can hear the bells."_

She stopped at the front doors of the collège, looking down at Chloé as she berated at Sabrina for some that was probably minuscule. _"I can hear the bells, my head is reeling. I can hear the bells, I can't stop the peeling. Everybody warns that he won't like what he'll see but I know that he'll look inside of me, yeah."_

She walked away from the scene and to the stairs again, climbing them up to the first floor. _"I can hear the bells. Today's just the start 'cause, I can hear the bells, and till death do us part and even when we die, we'll look down from up, above remembering the night that we two fell in love."_ She leaned on the railing, remembering the cute smile on Adrien's face as she accepted his apology.

 _"We both will shed a tear and he'll whisper as we're reminiscin'..."_ She grabbed Alya's arm and pulled her close as if exchanging a secret with her. _"'Listen! I can hear the bells.' I can hear the bells."_ She let go and fingered with the charm still on her finger. _"I can hear the bells."_

She briefly wondered, though, would Adrien like her? She was clumsy, but it was inside that counted, no?

"What happened to you, girl?" Alya asked. "I thought you were following me to the library."

Marinette shrugged and sighed. "I was talking to Adrien."

"Adrien," Alya repeated.

She chuckled. "Yeah. Isn't it cute how his hair is all floppy and bouncy in the front?"

"Oh, Marinette, Marinette," Alya said with a shake of her head. "Did you already forget what he tried to do yesterday?"

"I'll explain later." Marinette waved it off with a shake of her head. "I wonder what kind of macarons he'd like?"

Alya only watched with a raised eyebrow as Marinette continued to talk for a more minutes about Adrien and his attractive features and what a kind person he was. She missed something somewhere, she knew that. And whatever it was, she had a feeling Marinette was going to be acting this way for quite a while. She sighed.

This was going to be one hectic school year for her to attend.

* * *

 **Special thanks to bookishangel for favoriting.**

 **Shoutout to Thimblinattyl and HelLove22 for PMing this suggested song to me. Hairspray is one of my favorite musicals, so thank you very much. It does follow the sequence from the movie, though, FYI.**

 **Also, there's a preview for a Miraculous Ladybug fanfiction on my profile. If it gets enough positive reinforcement, I might put the first full chapter up. Check it out.**

 **Word Count: 2253**

 ** _~Corona Crown~_**


	10. Rotten to the Core

**In an alternate universe, Ladybug, Cat Noir, and Lady Wifi are liberals in a corrupt Parisian government. While they fight for adolescent freedom, the city sees them as immature delinquents; they embrace that.**

* * *

 **[From: _Descendants_ ]**

Madame Chamak was well-known as being the most popular news reporter Paris ever had. She was always trusted to run the truth, but sometimes she would come out as headstrong during interviews. She and her cameraman, Zachary, would always be the first to arrive or reach an important news story in Paris.

Such stories included the inordinate graffiti that plagued the entire city, caused by three teenagers. In her mind, she secretly agreed that the young ones were fighting for the side of justice. Ever since Mayor Bourgeois had dramatically changed the so that everything would fit with his daughter, she worried for her own child's safety.

The only time anyone younger than the legal adult age was allowed out of the house was during school hours only. Anyone caught outside the school ours would be taken to a detention center and be brought to Chloé Bourgeois, who would do everything in her (ahem, the Mayor's people) power to completely ruin their reputation, even go so far as to produce and release false information.

This had been going on for four mayoral terms, and while Chamak covered the news as honestly as she could, there would be times when she was forced to reveal private knowledge to the public, including medical conditions, sexual orientations, and racist and sexist fabrications. All because of Papa's Little Girl.

Then the three teenagers showed up. No one knew who they were, as they used pseudonyms and outfits to disguise themselves.

The first was a young mademoiselle who went by the name of Ladybug; true to her name, she wore a red shirt with black spots, black pants, and a mask over her entire face. The second, Cat Noir, wore black and green, as well as cat ear on top of the sweater he wore. It was obvious that the two of them were an item given how many times that had kissed and groped each other before moving with amazing agility to avoid capture by the police.

The last one seemed to be their most effective. Lady Wifi, dressed in black with white strips like some sort of inmate outfit, was very tech savvy and was able to hack into just about any TV screen or monitor. This was how they sent their messages how, their little rebellion spreading slowly throughout the city as other teenagers wanted their own freedom from Chloé. The graffiti in the streets and walls and posters and buses all said the same thing: in fiery red colors, it read Vive La Révolution!

Madame Chamak had wanted to get an interview with the three of them for a very long time. There was someone humanely advanced about the three of them; they ran faster, they jumped higher, they could run across walks, all of which helped them avoid capture.

And one day, once classes were released in the 21st arrondissement, Madame Chamak and Zachary left in their news van in search for the three in question.

It wasn't difficult to find them. It never was. The only problem was that it was difficult to catch them, as stated before.

They were across the park when Madame told Zachary to stop the van. A figure clad in black and white was hanging by her hand on the window sill of the bakery, using a red paint can to draw out the tail that was included in the "R" of Révolution.

"Excuse me! Lady Wifi?" Madame Chamak called out to her. Lady Wifi turned, but didn't run away yet. "I'm Madame Chamak. I wanted to interview you alongside Ladybug and Cat Noir, if at all possible!"

She was almost certain she could see the crinkle on Lady Wifi's forehead as she thought about the response. She pulled herself up and onto the balcony of the bakery. "I'll think about it," she said, her white glove running her chin. "Gotta check with the boss. Girl'll flip if I don't let her do this alongside me."

As if on cue, a red figure jumped from the next roof over, followed by a green and black one.

"My Lady!" Cat Noir said. "A camera? But I haven't put my makeup on yet!"

"As if makeup will help that mug of yours," Ladybug said before pressing her lips to his cheek. She looked over the railing, eyeing Madame Chamak carefully. "You're an adult. Don't you think we're only causing trouble?"

"I have a daughter of my own," Madame Chamak explained. "She can't visit her friends, or her old babysitter anymore because of that man and his daughter. Let me help you, Ladybug. Let me spread your word."

Ladybug smirked. "Is your camera rolling?"

Zachary hoisted the camera to his shoulder before giving Madame Chamak confirmation. "It's recording," she called up.

 **["Rotten to the Core"]**

 _Ladybug jumped off the railing and to the front of the bakery, standing proud and tall. "They say I'm trouble. They say I'm bad. They say I'm evil, and that makes me glad."_ She neared the camera, giving a feral smile as if she were nearing her prey. _"A dirty no-good down to the bone. Your worst nightmare, can't take me home!"_

 _"So I've got some mischief in my blood."_ Lady Wifi jumped down next, putting her elbow on Ladybug's shoulder. _"Can you blame me? I never got no love."_

 _"They think I'm callous, a low-life hood."_ Cat Noir appeared behind Zachary, startling him into turning around. His green eyes winked behind the black mask he wore. _"I feel so useless, misunderstood!"_

He stood by his companions, guiding them to Madame Chamak as she wearily stepped back. _"Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who's the baddest of them all? Welcome to my wicked world, wicked world."_ He smirked at the two girls before they jumped to the park, spraying their yellow, red, and orange paint cans all over the fountain and park.

 _"I'm rotten to the core, core. Rotten to the core. I'm rotten to the core, core. Who could ask for more?"_ Ladybug jumped onto the park bench, knocking it over before sprayed it with her paint. _"I'm nothing like the kid next, like the kid next door. I'm rotten to the, I'm rotten to the, I'm rotten to the core."_

Cat Noir reached into his pocket and pulled out a baton that extended into a staff, using it to rhythmically her the metal joints of the park benches and the stone fountain. The three teenagers laughed as they stood in front of each other and raised their cans to the air, spraying the sky before it landed on them

Lady Wifi, no covered in a fire color, put something on the ground by the fountain, which pulled up a holographic image of Chloé Bourgeois's head. _"Call me a schemer, call me a freak."_ She punched the holographic head, which exploded into pixels before it vanished completely. _"How can you say that? I'm just unique."_

 _"What, me a traitor? Ain't got your back?"_ Ladybug turned her head as police sirens neared. She napped her fingers to Madame Chamak and Zachary, signaling for them to hide by the bakery but to keep rolling. _"Are we not friends? What's up with that!"_

Cat Noir jumped by Ladybug's side as the police cars showed up at the entrance of the park. _"So I'm a misfit, so I'm a flirt. I broke your heart, I made you hurt."_ He kissed Ladybug as the police came out, all of them with beating sticks in their hands.

Ladybug gave Cat a playful push before she jumped out of the way of an officer's reach. _"The past is past. Forgive, forget. The truth is you ain't seen nothing yet!"_

Using synchronization that can only come from a true team, Ladybug, Cat Noir, and Lady Wifi avoided any physical contact with the police, who didn't use their guns due the Mayor wanting them un-injured and alive.

The three of them rested at the fountain as another officer tried to reach them. _"Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who's the baddest of them all? Welcome to my wicked world, wicked world."_

They jumped on the officers's heads as easily as if they were playing a game of "the floor is lava" in someone's living room. The bounced with such elegance that Madame Chamak was sure she would rewatch the footage close up due to the distance being a little iffy at the moment.

 _"I'm rotten to the core, core. Rotten to the core."_ Ladybug jumped from the head of an officer to another building, away from their reach.

 _"I'm rotten to the core, core. Who could ask for more?"_ Cat Noir easily climbed the wall with his hands and feet.

 _"I'm nothing like the kid next, like the kid next door."_ Lady Wifi jumped onto the roof's ledge before pulling herself up.

 _"I'm rotten to the, I'm rotten to the, I'm rotten to the core."_

Ladybug saluted as Cat Noir and Lady Wifi vanished from sight. "Bug out!" she called. Then disappeared as well.

* * *

Marinette sat watching the news with her parents before she left that night after they went to sleep. She donned her alter ego and made her way across the roofs of Paris to the meet up where she would see her boyfriend and best friend again. Once she made it to the meet up, she saw that Cat Noir was already there.

"My Princess, my Lady, my light at the end of the tunnel!" He said gracefully, getting down on one knee and taking one of her gloved hands in his and kissing it. "To what do I owe the honor?"

Ladybug rolled her eyes and pulled her hand away. "You and your gestures, Cat."

"What do you expect, girl?" Lady Wifi walked up to them. "You two are like rabbits in the school utility closets."

"Alya!" they both shouted, blushing a little. Despite the little light the night didn't offer, it was still plain to see.

Lady Wifi giggled. "Don't worry, only Nino and I know about that. So what do you think, girl? Did our little message get across to anyone today?"

"It doesn't matter how long it takes," Ladybug declared, looking over the little activity the city showed. "We need to get Mayor Bourgeois and his little princess of the thrown."

"And we will," Cat Noir promised. He walked up to her and took her hand in his again, squeezing it for reassurance. "The adults just think we're trouble, but we can do worse than that, no?"

Lady grinned. "Might I interfere with the next election? After all, they do take the votes digitally now."

Before Ladybug could answer, they heard the sounds of helicopter blades nearing them. They turned around and saw a law enforced chopper with a searchlight shining on the roofs.

"Damn, they found us again," Ladybug cursed under her breath. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, then?"

Cat Noir winked. "See ya soon, Princess."

Lady Wifi giggled. "Later, girl!"

* * *

 **Special thanks to mayuralover and Narradora for favoriting/following.**

 **Shoutout to dandruffLions for suggesting this song to me, thank you very much.**

 **Word Count: 1949**

 ** _~Corona Crown~_**


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